Nashville Standard

United States Senator Bill Hagerty (R-TN) appeared on Mornings With Maria on Fox Business to discuss the ongoing border deal negotiations and his legislation regarding the census and illegal immigration. During the interview, Hagerty expressed his concerns about the lack of good faith from the current administration in addressing the border situation, stating, "They have all the policies in place. Look, President Trump had the border secured. This White House came in and systematically took apart every one of the policies that President Trump had in place."

Hagerty also criticized the White House's request to "reprogram" the budget of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), calling it "absolutely preposterous." He emphasized the need for airtight border security and stated, "President Trump is right: Unless this is airtight, we better walk away from it."

Turning to his legislation, Hagerty explained the Democrats' incentive for illegal immigration, stating, "The question is why? Why would the Democrats subject our nation to the mayhem that fentanyl is delivering in every state? The crime, the human trafficking, why would they do this? It's because the blue states are losing population to red states like mine." He further explained that sanctuary cities in blue states attract a disproportionate number of illegal immigrants, who are then counted for the purposes of allocating electoral votes and legislative districts. To address this issue, Hagerty is introducing legislation to ensure that only citizens are counted for these purposes.

Regarding the Biden Administration's economic policies, Hagerty voiced his opposition to regulatory overreach and the potential increase in capital requirements for banks. He stated, "We've got to push back on these sorts of regulatory overreaches that come from out-of-touch bureaucrats that may have great degrees from great institutions, but not enough practical experience to make good decisions."

When asked about the status of the border supplemental deal, Hagerty expressed his frustration, saying, "None of us have seen text yet. We've been told that it's in process. It's been in process for weeks, and we have yet to see text." He emphasized the need to review the precise text of the deal before making any judgments.

In conclusion, Senator Hagerty's appearance on Mornings With Maria provided insight into his concerns about the ongoing border negotiations and his efforts to address the issue of illegal immigration in the census. He emphasized the need for strong border security and the importance of counting only citizens for electoral votes and congressional districts. Additionally, he voiced his opposition to regulatory overreach and highlighted the need for practical decision-making in economic policies.